Living in McKenzie County

In this episode of the Living in McKenzie County podcast, Vawnita Best visits with McKenzie County NDSU Extension staff Ryan Odenbach, Shantell Dukart, and Kim Neprash. They outline services residents can access through the Extension office, including 4-H enrollment and clubs, youth programming beyond livestock, and the Livestock Enhancement program with the Ag Expo. They also share upcoming Exten...

Host Vawnita Best welcomes Watford City Park District Superintendent Robin Arndt, Rough Rider Center Director Sarah Fitzpatrick, and Park Board President Justin Johnsrud to kick off Season 3! They highlight the Park District's 100-year legacy and the September 3rd centennial celebration at Kent Pelton Park during the farmers market. They also look back on how land donations, volunteers, and collab...

Host Vawnita Best welcomes guests Irene Sealy, director of the McKenzie County Public Library, and Bakken MomCo leaders Emily Brown and Kat Hartel. They discuss McKenzie County as a place intentionally built for families and highlight ways that mothers and families can connect through Bakken MomCo and the public library. Bakken MomCo meets has two meetups a month from September to May at the Watfo...

Host Vawnita Best visits with guests Tim Fjeldahl, president of the Wolf Pack Booster Club, and Mitch Lunde, the new McKenzie County School District Athletic Director. They explain the booster club's purpose as a centralized, one-stop support system for all school activities and athletics. They also highlight upcoming events: the Friday Night Lights Golf Scramble on August 21 and Meet the Wolves a...

In Season 2, Episode 24 of the Living in McKenzie County podcast, Vawnita Best sits down with Watford City Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mary Fish-Gumke, Lund Oil Marketing Director Jessica Hollenbeck, and Chamber Board Member Stefanie Russell of Dakota West Credit Union to highlight Chamber resources and the upcoming 2026 Best of the West Ribfest on August 14. They also take a look...

How did McKenzie County keep the lights on in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s after the oil bust? Season 2, Episode 23 of the Living in McKenzie County podcast features community leaders Tim Taylor, Steve Stenehjem, and Neal Shipman discussing how McKenzie County has endured historic hardships, and what we can learn about resilience and community as we look to the future.   Watch Cowboys and Crude: The Mc...

Jessie Veeder-Scofield hosts this special episode of the Living in McKenzie County podcast with guests Oksana Zvyagelskiy, Crystal Picklesimer, and Josh Nollmeyer to preview a busy summer of community events. The group takes a look a Homefest in Watford City, Art in the Park, the Minot Hot Tots baseball game, and Parks and Recreation programming. Homefest https://www.watfordcityevents.com/all/Cale...

County Commissioners Howdy Lawlar and Craig Hystad, along with farmer and rancher Nathan Brenna and host Meghan Taunton recap an educational trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming with a 16-person delegation of local officials and landowners to learn about data center development. They describe hearing from the City of Cheyenne, Cheyenne LEADS, Microsoft, Meta, Black Hills Energy, utilities, and planners. Thro...

Host Meghan Taunton welcomes McKenzie County Commissioner Joel Brown and North Dakota State Senator Dale Patten for a recap of the 2026 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference in Bismarck. They discuss the scale and purpose of the conference, consolidation among operators, and the central "Bakken 2.0: Crack the Code" theme focused on enhanced oil recovery to increase recovery rates and extend the Bak...

In the latest Living in Mckenzie County episode, Doug Bolken hosts Brock White with the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation and Gretchen Stenehjem with the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library to preview Medora's major July 4th opening and America 250 celebrations. Alongside a detailed look at the new presidential library, they outline the programming taking place all week from July 2–5, inclu...

In this episode of the Living in McKenzie County podcast, host Meghan Taunton, McKenzie County Economic Development Director, welcomes Cyrena Weeks (Tri-County Regional Development Council), Keith Olson (Small Business Development Center), and Susan Granrud (Job Service Workforce Center) to preview Small Business Month and explain regional resources for entrepreneurs and employers. They discuss we...

Season 2, Episode 17 of the Living in McKenzie County Podcast features Watford City High School students as they share their experiences in leadership, Student Council, and community involvement. They also promote the annual Cultural Fair, which will take place on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from 3–6 p.m. in the Rough Rider Center arena. The students discuss how the event showcases the community's g...

In this episode of the Living in McKenzie County Podcast, host Vawnita Best is joined by City of Watford City staff including Tony Carmichael of Fox Hills Golf Course, Chief Wellen of the Watford City Police Department, and City Planner Jake Walters. Walters shares updates on the long-planned Monument Sign project at three entrances to town, the new Main Street median sign cabinets and checkout pr...

In this bonus episode of the Living in McKenzie County the Long X Development team explains how their shared work supports Watford City and all of McKenzie County. Team members include City of Watford City Community & Business Development Director Vawnita Best, Tourism Attractions and Promotions Lead Doug Bolken, Long X Arts Foundation Director Jesse Veeder Scofield, Technology and Communications...

This episode of the Living in McKenzie County Podcast features Watford City Engineer, Justin Smith, and McKenzie County Engineering Director, Grace Demars. They join host, Vawnita Best, to explain how city and county capital improvement plans (CIP) are developed, prioritized, funded, and communicated to the public, including the multi-year planning, design, and right-of-way work required before co...

In this episode of the Living in McKenzie County Podcast, host Vawnita Best welcomes Nikki Darrington with Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS), and Daniel Stenberg and Karissa Frick with McKenzie County Soil Conservation District to explain how the two organizations differ in funding and roles while working together on conservation planning and implementation. They also share the services...

This episode of the Living in McKenzie County Podcast continues the February series on the Watford City High School Hall of Fame, featuring board members Brad Foss, Beau Wisness, and Marco Pelton. They reveal the Watford City High School Hall of Fame Class of 2026, explaining the public nomination and committee voting process guided by bylaws, as well as challenges in evaluating earlier eras with...

Join in in our first episode of a two-part series as we dive into the rich history of Watford City High School's sports and the school's Hall of Fame. Host Vawnita Best joins 3 guests to discuss the mission as the Hall of Fame, whil taking a walk through time at the previous decades and the incredible athletes and students that were involved. 00:00 Welcome to the Living in McKenzie County Podcast...

Join us in this episode of the 'Living in McKenzie County Podcast' as we dive into the incredible education and career opportunities provided by The Bakken Area Skills Center! From learning about heavy equipment operations and construction trades to welding and healthcare careers, discover how this amazing facility is shaping the future of our community. We chat with instructors, students, and ind...

Join Dr. Wayne Heckaman, Scott Wisness, Anselmo Jr. Hernandez, and Justin Johnsrud in an engaging podcast session discussing the transformative impact of the Bakken Area Skills Center on students' career opportunities in the energy industry. The panel delves into the history and innovative programs at the center, industry partnerships, and future trends in energy sector skills development. Learn a...

Join us in this episode as we welcome Gretchen Stenehjem, a board member of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, to discuss the groundbreaking developments and anticipated benefits of the new presidential library in western North Dakota. Hosted by Doug Bolken from McKenzie County Tourism, this conversation covers Gretchen's role and contributions, the unique architectural design by Snohett...

The Benefit Fund of McKenzie Health is on a mission to enhance McKenzie Health's services and care for patients and customers through fundraising and advocacy, but they can't do it alone. Join The President of The Benefit Fund & McKenzie Health Chief of Marketing Lynn Welker-Fevold and host Vawnita Best as they discuss a crucial day for The Benefit Fund: Giving Tuesday on December 2nd, 2025. This...

Our latest episode of Living in McKenzie County finds us diving into the realm of rural healthcare with Cardiologist Dr. Richard Howard, Oncologist Dr. Chad Pedersen, and Pediatrician Dr. Goodnight from McKenzie Health. Our discussion spans the importance of providing specialized medical care in rural areas, the challenges and rewards of practicing medicine away from urban centers, and the collabo...

Join us for a special episode of 'Living in McKenzie County' featuring Cory Hepola from the My Town documentary series.  In this episode, recorded during Cory's time filming the Watford City episode in May of 2025, we delve into the unique aspects of rural life, the misconceptions about small towns, and the vibrant community spirit in Watford City and McKenzie County. Highlights include Cory's exp...

 In this episode of the Living in McKenzie County Podcast, we delve into the McKenzie County Ag Expo, exploring its history, significance, and impact on the community. Join us for a lively discussion with special guests: Jess Hollenbeck from Lund Oil, Chris Kubal – Ag Expo Director and Foundation Director, and Howdy Lawlar – County Commission Chairman and Foundation President. We cover a wide arra...